Capturing the Perfect Fantasy

During Think Blue Week at Dodger Stadium, fans are being given the opportunity to live out their fantasies as bat boys and girls, public address announcers, organists, photographers, groundskeepers and even sportswriters.

But who are those guys in the blue and white uniforms who have been masquerading as major league batters?

On Friday, they didn’t get a hit against Mark Gardner of Montreal in the first nine innings of a 10-inning game.

On Sunday, they didn’t get on base against Dennis Martinez in nine innings of a nine-inning game.

“Hey, look at it this way,” coach Joe Ferguson said. “We got no-hitted twice over the weekend, and we won two out of three games.”

They also extended their National League West lead over Atlanta. It must be their year. In 1988, Tom Browning pitched a perfect game against the Dodgers and they won the World Series. In 1981, Nolan Ryan pitched a no-hitter against them and they won the World Series.

“You’ve got to look for the silver lining,” relief pitcher Tim Belcher said after being given a history lesson.

Belcher didn’t need to be reminded about Browning’s feat three years ago.

Belcher was the losing pitcher that night in Cincinnati, having given up an unearned run and three hits.

“Sometimes it’s not how you pitch, but when you pitch,” he said after Mike Morgan lost to the Expos despite giving up only two unearned runs and four hits.

Orel Hershiser pitched six shutout innings Friday night, but was fortunate to escape with a no-decision after the Dodgers finally ended Gardner’s spell in the 10th inning.

Sunday, Hershiser was asked to analyze Martinez’s performance.

“He had good command of his pitches and he never gave in,” Hershiser said. “Those few times when he got behind a batter, he didn’t immediately go to his fastball. He was pitching the ball where he wanted to.

“He wasn’t overpowering. Location. That was the key. Always is.”

For the first time in a major league career that began in 1981, Brett Butler had been on the wrong end of a no-hitter.

“I don’t know how Martinez ever loses,” Butler said. “We haven’t beaten him, and I can’t remember beating him with the Giants.

“I knew how he was going to throw me today, but it didn’t make any difference. Every pitch was exactly where he wanted it. He could have closed his eyes and done a good job.”

More experienced than Butler at this perfect game business was a man in the Dodger broadcasting booth, Vin Scully.

Scully didn’t call the Browning game because of an NBC commitment, but he described those of Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Sandy Koufax against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium in 1965.

“They’ve all been very much different,” Scully said.

“The tension was unbelievable the day Larsen pitched his because it was in the World Series. I was scared to death.

“Bob Hendley pitched a one-hitter the night Koufax pitched his perfect game. Lou Johnson got the base hit, but it had nothing to do with the run.

“This one was pretty quiet until (Mike) Scioscia flied out to start the ninth. Then the entire ballpark seemed to get behind Martinez. It wasn’t a World Series or a home team guy pitching, but he was so-o-o perfect.”

Indeed, on Sunday of Think Blue Week, it was Dennis Martinez who lived out his fantasy.